The invention relates to apparatus for cutting strip material into lengths and for stacking the cut lengths of strip material. More specifically, the present invention relates to an arrangement having a cutting apparatus and, downstream of the cutting apparatus, a stacking apparatus in which a stream of air acting in the direction of conveyance is fed to the underside of the portions of strip material and serve to form a cushion of air. The stacking apparatus is provided with a stacking space adjustable to the size of the portions of strip material, the length of the stacking space being defined by an adjustable stop, the contacting of which by the portions of strip material commences the stacking process.
Where the automatic cutting of strip material which is fed continuously from a reel to a cutting apparatus is concerned, it is generally conventional for the cut portions of strip material to be conducted onto a conveying apparatus such as a conveyor belt, on which the portions of strip material are fed to a subsequent stacking arrangement and are stacked. Such an apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,048. A guillotine blade cuts from the strip material, portions which are fed by means of the interposed conveyor belt to two oppositely driven conveyor rollers of a stacking arrangement. The two conveyor rollers convey the strip material portions into a stacking space. Provided at the level of the bottom conveyor roller is an air nozzle which guides a stream of air in the conveying direction beneath the portion of strip material which is to be stacked. The air stream generates in the predominantly closed stacking space a cushion of air which diminishes the rate of lowering of the portions of strip material which are to be stacked. At the end of the stacking space, the size of which can be adjusted according to the size of the portions of strip material, there is, constructed as a switching element, an abutment which upon being actuated by the portion of strip material, initiates the stacking process in which additional air jets provided on the feed side of the stacking arrangement and acting at right-angles to the direction of conveyance, become activated. The additional air jets, upon commencement of the stacking operation, impart to the portion of strip material which is to be stacked a greater lowering speed in comparison with the other end, so reliably avoiding the subsequent portion of strip material becoming pushed under the preceding portion.
In the case of the apparatus described, there is between the cutting arrangement for the strip material which is to be cut into lengths and the stacking arrangement for the cut lengths of strip material a separate conveyor belt which means that the space required by the apparatus is relatively great.
Therefore, the object of the invention is, while avoiding having a separate conveyor belt, to couple a stacking arrangement directly to a cutting arrangement.
According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the abovenoted problems are resolved by providing that the portions of strip material are fed from the cutting apparatus directly to the under side of at least one accelerating anchoring roller which is mounted in a frame of the stacking apparatus, on the feed side thereof, above the air stream acting in the direction of conveyance and at the commencement of the stacking space.
The invention is distinguished by compact construction which is achieved by the direct coupling of the stacking arrangement onto the cutting arrangement without the interposition of a separate conveyor belt.
Furthermore, the apparatus of the present invention eliminates an additional source of faults, constituted in the above-discussed prior arrangements by breakdowns of the conveyor belt caused for example by increased wear and/or damage.
The type of cutting arrangement used in practicing the present invention can be chosen according to particular requirements, and it is contemplated for example to use an oscillating drum cutter such as disclosed in (DL Pat. No. 97,362 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,244), a roller cutter or a guillotine blade. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,382 discloses a flying shear arrangement that could be used with the present invention.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.